Wangaratta’s Ledger stable made a flying start to its hometown meet on Tuesday. John and Chris Ledger had just the three runners and landed a quinella in the first race and followed that with another winner in the next on the club’s Melbourne Cup day meet. Electric Charlie won by two and a half lengths from Carwelkin and Wangaratta trainer Steve Cunningham’s Doogans Rise in the Benchmark 64 (1170m), while Mankell proved too strong for four-year-old stablemate Dashing Dot in the 1170m maiden. “They’re both locally owned and Dashing Dot’s run a couple of seconds before and Mankell was stepping out for the first time,” Chris Ledger said. “Dashing Dot led them up and her stablemate finished over the top, so it was great to run first and second.” The three-year-old winner is now likely to run at Seymour next week. “We just treated today (Tuesday) a bit like a good learning curve for him, there was only a small field of eight horses,” Ledger said. Meantime, Dashing Dot will be pulled back in distance. “She’s a real jump and run horse and she probably likes it a bit shorter, so we’ll probably keep her around the 1000-1100m mark,” he said. Electric Charlie’s win was his fourth from 23 starts. “He’s actually got really good form, he won a really good race here on Wangaratta Cup day in March, worth $40,000-odd,” Ledger said. “In his preparation he just hadn’t had a lot of luck, he struck a heavy track at Albury and had a couple of not favourable runs, so we just thought a drop back in class was needed for him as we just wanted to get his confidence back up.” The five-year-old now boasts nine placings, clocking up almost $82,000 in prizemoney. Electric Charlie, which has had a handful of starts at metropolitan level, has worked its way to a Benchmark 70 rating, with Ledger suggesting the stable will look close-by for the next start. Spectators were also able to utilise the new grandstand, part of a $7 million upgrade. “It’s fantastic, the track looks great and (chief executive officer) Paul Hoysted and the committee have done a great job,” he said. “The grandstand is first class and for a bush club, they’re such good facilities.” Apprentice Zac Spain guided the Ledger horses to victory and he continued his blistering start by claiming the third race, a maiden over 1300m, for Caulfield trainer Mick Price. Royal Treasury won by four and a quarter lengths from Perfectly Posh. It was the mare’s first outing after a nine-month spell. And Cranbourne trainer Amy McDonald saluted with Spring Action in the Benchmark 52 (1400m). It was the gelding’s first win since September, 2016.

Wangaratta's Ledger stable wins first two races at home club's Melbourne Cup day meet

The Ledger stable had a terrific start at Wangaratta's Melbourne Cup day meet, claiming the first two winners.

Wangaratta’s Ledger stable made a flying start to its hometown meet on Tuesday.

John and Chris Ledger had just the three runners and landed a quinella in the first race and followed that with another winner in the next on the club’s Melbourne Cup day meet.

Electric Charlie won by two and a half lengths from Carwelkin and Wangaratta trainer Steve Cunningham’s Doogans Rise in the Benchmark 64 (1170m), while Mankell proved too strong for four-year-old stablemate Dashing Dot in the 1170m maiden.

“They’re both locally owned and Dashing Dot’s run a couple of seconds before and Mankell was stepping out for the first time,” Chris Ledger said.

“Dashing Dot led them up and her stablemate finished over the top, so it was great to run first and second.”

The three-year-old winner is now likely to run at Seymour next week.

“We just treated today (Tuesday) a bit like a good learning curve for him, there was only a small field of eight horses,” Ledger said.

Meantime, Dashing Dot will be pulled back in distance.

“She’s a real jump and run horse and she probably likes it a bit shorter, so we’ll probably keep her around the 1000-1100m mark,” he said.

Electric Charlie’s win was his fourth from 23 starts.

“He’s actually got really good form, he won a really good race here on Wangaratta Cup day in March, worth $40,000-odd,” Ledger said.

“In his preparation he just hadn’t had a lot of luck, he struck a heavy track at Albury and had a couple of not favourable runs, so we just thought a drop back in class was needed for him as we just wanted to get his confidence back up.”

The five-year-old now boasts nine placings, clocking up almost $82,000 in prizemoney.

He just hadn’t had a lot of luck, he struck a heavy track at Albury and had a couple of not favourable runs, so we just thought a drop back in class was needed for him.

Chris Ledger

Electric Charlie, which has had a handful of starts at metropolitan level, has worked its way to a Benchmark 70 rating, with Ledger suggesting the stable will look close-by for the next start.

Spectators were also able to utilise the new grandstand, part of a $7 million upgrade.

“It’s fantastic, the track looks great and (chief executive officer) Paul Hoysted and the committee have done a great job,” he said.

“The grandstand is first class and for a bush club, they’re such good facilities.”

Apprentice Zac Spain guided the Ledger horses to victory and he continued his blistering start by claiming the third race, a maiden over 1300m, for Caulfield trainer Mick Price.